I had forgotten how severe burning rubber smells. The air was thick with it, wafting around the area like some death cloud. Slowly and sluggishly the poisonous haze seeped into the car, taking on a strange, bluish tint from the neon dashboard lights. My eyes watered and I could taste the sharp, acrid musk of suffering tires. We weren’t going particularly … [Read more...] about Real Deal Street Car Killah
Families of Strangers
“I hate America,” a young man told me. “I am on my way out. I am going to Africa, from Cairo to the Cape. I need to be where there is some real culture, you know? I just came back from Central America and really learned how to live life, you know? The values they have, in those kind of places, inspired me. I asked him to be more specific. “As an American I feel guilty, … [Read more...] about Families of Strangers
The Molokai Cowboy
I had to hitchhike to the Molokai Ranch. On the way I was picked up at the gas station by Kamo, a self described “chocolate and banana farmer.” He was curious about me and eventually offered to put me up in his home. I told him I was on my way to interview Jimmy Duvauchelle. I asked him if he could he tell me anything. “Everyone love Uncle Jimmy,” he said as … [Read more...] about The Molokai Cowboy
Foam Sparrows
Chris and Dan are best friends from Tampa, Florida. They have an adversarial, comical energy that is reassuring. They remind me of a pair of quarrelling spouses. I recently met them in a secluded, rural area of Maui that I promised them I would not name. That’s because what they did out there is technically illegal. Several times a week, they and their friends visit this … [Read more...] about Foam Sparrows
MauiTime Best of Maui 2004: Best Place to Eat after 2 AM: Denny’s
BEST PLACE TO EAT AFTER 2 A.M. Denny’s When I was growing up, Denny’s was good for two things. First, to trip on acid and draw in notebooks and, second, to do dine-and-dashes. Handily winning the category as the only place to eat after 2 a.m., Denny’s could safely be called a culinary slum. The aggressive florescent lighting, the see-and-say menu selection, the rotating … [Read more...] about MauiTime Best of Maui 2004: Best Place to Eat after 2 AM: Denny’s